Barnet

Barnet's population expanded in the 10 years leading up to the latest census. At the same time there were changes in religion, housing tenure and relationships.

The population reached nearly 360,000

Between the last two censuses, the population of Barnet increased by 13%, from almost 315,000 to 356,000.

The addition of almost 42,000 people means this area's population increased faster than the rate of growth across England (up 7.9% since the 2001 census).

In 2011, Barnet was home to, on average, 29 people per football pitch-sized piece of land.

Population density was lower than the average across London

Population density (usual residents per football pitch-sized piece of land) across London, March 2011 (larger dots represent greater increase since 2001)

Average age stable in Barnet

Latest census data also show that the median age of Barnet remained 35 years in the decade to 2011.

This urban area had a higher average age than London and remained somewhat younger than the average local authority area across England (39 years of age).

The fall in age was because of an increase of about 9,000 people between the ages of 40 and 49 years, while the population between 70 and 79 years decreased by almost 700.

About 14% of people in Barnet are aged between 40 and 49 years

Percentage of usual residents in England, London and Barnet by 10 year age band, March 2001 and March 2011

Religion in Barnet

The number of people in Barnet that described themselves as Christian remained close to 150,000 between the last two censuses. This represents a change from 47% to 41% of the local population.

The percentage decreased by less than the average across London (from 58% to 48%) and the average across England (from 72% to 59%).

The number of people in Barnet that described themselves as having no religion increased from just over 40,000 in 2001 to about 57,000 in 2011 (from 13% to 16%). The number of people who described themselves as Jewish increased from about 47,000 to about 54,000. Both of these figures represented about 15% of the total population at the time of the 2001 and 2011 censuses.

Just under 37,000 people (6.2%) said they were Muslim, up from just over 19,000 in 2001 (10%).

There are many factors that can cause changes to the religious profile of an area, such as migration and varying fertility rates between religious groups. Changes may also be caused by differences in the way individuals choose to self-identify between censuses.

The population who identified as Christian in Barnet decreased by 6.1 percentage points

Percentage of usual residents in England, London and Barnet by religion, March 2001 and March 2011

Disability in Barnet

The percentage of Barnet residents whose day-to-day activities are limited a lot by a long-term health problem or disability increased from 2.5% to 3.0% in the 10 years leading up to the latest census.

In 2011, just over 1 in 17 (6.0%) reported being limited a little in their day-to-day activities, compared with 6.5% in 2001. The percentage of Barnet residents whose day-to-day activities are not limited by a long-term health problem or disability remained close to 91%.

The proportion of people who are considerably limited by a long-term health problem or disability increased at a similar rate to the figure for the whole of London (from 2.7% in 2001 to 3.1% in 2011). Across England, the percentage increased from 3.1% to 3.8%.

The proportion of people who are limited a lot by a long-term health problem or disability was lower than across London

Percentage of usual residents that reported being considerably limited in their day-to-day activities across local authority areas in London and the average across England, March 2011

Rise in private renting

The percentage of privately rented homes increased in Barnet, but at a slower rate than in Brent (the local authority area that shares the largest boundary with Barnet).

In Barnet, the proportion of private renting increased from 16% in 2001 to 26% in 2011. During the same period, the proportion in nearby Brent increased from 18% to 30%.

Across London, the share of privately rented homes increased from 15% to 25%.

The rate of social housing in Barnet fell from 15% to 14%, while the rate of home ownership decreased from 66% to 58%.

Private renting in Barnet increased by 9.3 percentage points

Percentage of households in Barnet, London and England that rented privately, March 2001 and March 2011

Fewer people living alone

The percentage of one-person households fell here at a faster rate than in nearby Brent.

In Barnet, the proportion of one-person households decreased from 31% in 2001 to 28% in 2011. During the same period, the proportion in nearby Brent decreased from 29% to 28%.

Across London, the share of one-person households decreased from 35% to 32%.

The percentage of households with a cohabiting couple in Barnet increased from 6.2% to 6.7%, while the percentage of households with a married couple decreased from 35% to 34%.

The percentage of households with only one person was lower than across London

Percentage of households that comprised only one person across local authority areas in London and the average across England, March 2011

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